On May 1 2004, 10 additional countries joined the European Union. Out of fears that the "old” member states would be swamped by cheap labour from the new member states, many of the old members chose to impose transitional rules on the mobility of labour from the new to the old member states.
This report provides an analysis of the transitional rules put in place by the Danish government. What are the rules that apply to workers from the new member states compared to those that apply to workers from the old member states? How are these rules administered? And what are the social rights of workers from the new member states, e.g., in the form of access to social benefits? These are some of the questions addressed in this report. (Report in Danish).